Miami Ratings October 2023

     Miami/Fort Lauderdale sports talk radio stations were issued their ratings. The time span went from the second week of September to the second week of October. 

     AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM shifted from a 1.4 to a 2.3 in the month.  The last time WQAM compiled a ratings number like this was when they had Neil Rogers, Jim Mandich, Hank Goldberg and Ed Kaplan in their lineup during the early 2000s. It was the highest ratings for a Miami sports format radio station since 104.3 The Ticket had a 2.5 in May 2014 and a 2.3 in June 2014. The University of Miami Hurricanes football team was victorious in their first four regular season games until they were shocked at home by Georgia Tech. Inter Miami CF continued to be led by Lionel Messi and fell in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship game. The radio station continues with their three weekday shows Hochman & Crowder, Joe Rose and Tobin & Leroy. 

     Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM went from a 0.4 to a 0.5 in the period. It was their best ratings since December 2015. WINZ tied their all-time high for the second time since they flipped to a sports talk format in April 2009. The Miami Marlins made a charge in late September and finished in the second wild-card spot for their second playoff appearance in the last four seasons. They were sweep by the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Wild-Card Series. The Miami Dolphins won their first three games and four of their first five contests to lead the AFC East Division. WINZ has used the syndicated Fox Sports Radio lineup during weekdays. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM appeared in the Miami ratings for the second straight period. They expanded their audience from a 0.1 to a 0.2. 

Lionel Messi Wins Ballon d'Or

     Inter Miami CF midfielder Lionel Messi captured the Ballon d'Or Award as World Soccer Most Valuable Player for a record-breaking eighth time. He is the first Major League Soccer player to be given that honor. 

     Messi won the World Cup with Argentina back in December. It was the third time that country finished as world champions. He was with Paris Saint-German in the French Liga during the 2022-23 campaign. 

     He signed with the Inter Miami CF during the summer and made his debut on July 21. Messi helped the team win their first trophy in franchise history as they captured the Leagues Cup in August. The club reached the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship game in September. 

Bucks Bust Heat

     The Milwaukee Bucks raced by the Miami Heat 122-114 at Fiserv Forum on Monday night. Both clubs have won three of the last four Eastern Conference titles. The Bucks paid back the Heat after losing to them in the first round of the NBA Playoffs last season. 

     The first quarter was close between both teams and they were tied 28-28 at the end of the frame. Milwaukee(2-1) scored the first seven points of the second quarter and had a 62-52 lead at halftime. 

     The Bucks had a 15-6 spurt against Miami(1-3) to begin the second half and led 97-73 at the end of the third quarter. The Heat outscored their opponent 41-25 in the final quarter, however that was not enough.

     Tyler Herro led Miami with a game-high 35 points. Jimmy Butler had 13 points while Duncan Robinson added 15 points. 

     Giannis Antetokounmpo compiled a team-high 33 points and seven rebounds for Milwaukee. His new teammate Damian Lillard dropped in 25 points and Bobby Portis drained in 16 points. 

Bruins Burn Panthers

     The Boston Bruins remained unbeaten in regulation as they edged the Florida Panthers 3-2 Iin overtime at TD Garden on Monday night. The Cats, who played in their first overtime game this season, started a three-game road trip. 

     The B's got revenge after being knocked out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the first round by the Panthers last season in seven games. The Bruins set an NHL record in 2022-23 with the most wins and points in a regular season. 

     Florida(4-3-1) pulled out to a 1-0 lead at the 6:13 mark of the first period. Aleksander Barkov was able to get a snap shot from the inner left circle by Linus Ullmark for his second goal of the year. Sam Reinhart and Niko Mikkola were credited with assists on the play. 

     The Panthers expanded it to 2-0 with 4:52 remaining in the first. Barkov backhanded a pass from behind the Bruins cage and Reinhart collected his eighth goal of the season on a wrist shot from the slot area. 

     Boston(8-0-1) closed it to 2-1 at 3:38 of the second period. Their new team captain Brad Marchand picked up his fifth goal of the campaign on a tip-in shot from the crease area past Sergei Bobrovsky. 

     In the third period, the Bruins tied it up 2-2 at the 7:20 mark. Charlie McAvoy snapped a shot from the top of the crease for his second tally in 2023-24. 

     The Bruins won the contest at 3:36 in overtime. Pavel Zacha was able to get an unassisted goal when he skated through the neutral zone and snapped a shot from the right circle for his third goal this season. 

Dolphins Swim By Patriots

     The Miami Dolphins smoked by the New England Patriots 31-17 at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. The Dolphins remained in first place inside the AFC East Division. 

Timberwolves Crawl By Heat

     The Minnesota Timberwolves walked by the Miami Heat 106-90 on Saturday night at Target Center. The Heat continued their three-game road swing. The Timberwolves played in their 35th home opener in franchise history. 

     Miami(1-2) had a 31-26 lead by the end of the first quarter. Minnesota(1-1) bounced back and had a 55-53 advantage at halftime. The Timberwolves remained in front 80-73 at the end of the third quarter. The T-Wolves went on a 25-3 run in the middle of the final quarter to put the game away.

     Tyler Herro had a club-high 22 points while Bam Adebayo added 19 points for the Heat. Minnesota picked up double-doubles from Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. 

Panthers Crack Kraken

     The Florida Panthers overcame a two-goal deficit to knock off the Seattle Kraken 3-2 at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday night. The Panthers completed a four-game homestand with a 3-1-0 record. The Kraken continued their road trip throughout the southeast.

     Seattle(2-5-2) took a 1-0 lead on the fourth goal of the 2023-24 campaign by former Panthers player Jared McCann. He skated through the right circle into the crease arena and finished the play on a backhand shot at 7:58 of the first period. Eeli Tolvanen deflected a shot from the top of the crease into the cage at the 7:34 mark to give the Kraken a 2-0 lead. 

     Florida(4-3-0) mounted a comeback beginning at the midway point of the game with two goals in an 11-second span. Gustav Forsling blasted a one-time slap shot from the top of the zone on the power play for his first tally of the year at 8:53. Matthew Tkachuk chalked up his first goal of the season at 9:04 with a redirected shot from the inner left circle. 

     In the third period, the Panthers got the go-ahead goal with 5:52 left for 3-2 lead. Nick Cousins scored on a backhand shot into a wide-open net from the right of the crease. It followed a weird bounce off the left-corner boards after a dump in by Josh Mahura from the red line. 

Joe Thornton Retires

     Joe Thornton announced his retirement from the National Hockey League on Saturday. He did not participate in the NHL last season. 

     Thornton spent most of his 24-season career with the Boston Bruins and the San Jose Sharks. He was never able to capture a Stanley Cup title. 

     He played his final season in 2021-22 with the Florida Panthers and helped them win the Presidents' Trophy. Thornton compiled five goals and five assists for 10 points in 34 games that campaign. 

Hurricanes Jump Over Virginia

     The University of Miami Hurricanes survived the University of Virginia Cavaliers 29-26 in overtime on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium. It was the second straight week that the Canes were victorious beyond regulation time. They got by Clemson in overtime just one week ago. 

     Virginia(2-6, 1-3) had the first chance of overtime and settled for a field goal. Miami(6-2, 2-2) answered back with a touchdown to conclude the contest. 

Celtics Hold Off Heat

     The Boston Celtics got revenge on the Miami Heat 119-111 at TD Garden on Friday night. Both teams have met each other in the last two Eastern Conference Finals. 

     Miami(1-1) had a 28-25 advantage after one quarter. Boston(2-0) would come back and moved ahead 60-55 by halftime. 

     The Heat held a slight lead 88-87 at the end of the third quarter. The C's went on a 9-2 spurt to begin the fourth quarter and did not surrender the lead for the remainder of the contest.

     Bam Adebayo compiled 27 points and seven rebounds for Miami. Tyler Herro dropped in a club-high 28 points. Jimmy Butler had 14 points and Kyle Lowry added 13 points. 

     Derrick Brown led the Celtics with a team-high 28 points in the victory. Jaylen Brown contributed 27 points while Jayson Tatum composed 22 points and eight rebounds. Jrue Holiday compiled 17 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. 

St. Thomas Aquinas Takes Dillard & District Title

     The FHSAA Class 3M District 11 title was on the line as the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders blasted the Dillard Panthers 58-0 on Friday night at Simmons Family Field in Fort Lauderdale. The Raiders won their 12th consecutive district title. 

     St. Thomas Aquinas(9-1, 3-0) led after the first quarter 37-0 with five touchdowns and a safety. Dillard(5-4, 2-1) could not make it into a contest. STA added two touchdowns during the second quarter and had a 51-0 halftime lead.

     The Raiders finished their regular season and will attempt to capture their fifth straight FHSAA state title beginning two weeks from now. The Panthers will visit the Blanche Ely Tigers in the annual Soul Bowl at Richard L. Williams Stadium next week. 

Jon Sciambi Announces World Series

     Former Florida Marlins radio play-by-play announcer and studio host Jon "Boog" Sciambi will be announcing the World Series on national radio for the first time. He will call Game 1 of the 2023 World Series tonight from Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas on ESPN Radio. He was named to that post in October 2022. 

     Sciambi, a Boston College grad, was part of the Marlins radio announcing crew from 1997 until 2004. He later was the television play-by-play announcer of the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs. Sciambi has worked with ESPN as a baseball and college basketball play-by-play announcer since the mid-2000s. 

     He was employed at Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM during the 1990s. His roles in his tenure there included producer, weekend host. evening host, midday co-host and the Florida Panthers Radio Network studio host. He did host a midday show on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM in 2004 and 2005. 

Jupiter Wins District Over Palm Beach Gardens

     The Jupiter Warriors went on the road and handled the Palm Beach Gardens Gators 42-21 at Mullinax Ford Stadium on Thursday night. The Warriors captured the Class 4M District 9 title with the victory. 

     Jupiter(8-1, 3-0) would reach the end zone at the 5:55 mark of the first quarter for a 7-0 advantage. Quarterback Luke Douglas was able to scoot in from 10 yards out. 

     The Warriors increased it to 14-0 with 4:38 left in the second quarter. Douglas rushed in on a 17-yard touchdown run. 

     Palm Beach Gardens(5-4, 2-1) would cut it to 14-7 with 2:42 to go in the second. Quarterback Keyon Stephens rumbled through as he raced in from 43 yards away. 

     In the third quarter, Jupiter regained the momentum with two touchdowns for a 28-7 lead. Both teams would exchange two touchdowns each during the fourth quarter. 

     The Gators will head on down to the Park Vista Cobras next week. The Warriors will host the South Fork Bulldogs in a week. 

West Boca Raton Stops Blanche Ely

     The Blanche Ely Tigers went up to Palm Beach County and fell to the West Boca Raton Bulls 21-7 in a Class 3M District 10 clash on Thursday night. Both teams look to make the FHSAA postseason. 

     West Boca Raton(7-2, 2-1) made it 7-0 at 6:32 of the first quarter. Running back Javian Mallory rushed up the middle on a 40-yard touchdown run. 

     The Bulls would extend their lead to 13-0 with 15 seconds remaining in the first. Mallory once again raced in for the score. 

     Blanche Ely(7-2, 1-2) would get on the scoreboard with 1:27 left in the second quarter. They trailed 13-7 by halftime. 

     In the fourth quarter, West Boca Raton expanded it to 21-7 at the 10:58 mark. Mallory got his third touchdown run when he went through the right side of the line from five yards out. 

     The Tigers will play in the annual Soul Bowl and travel to the Dillard Panthers next week. The Bulls will host local rival the Olympic Heights Lions in a week. 

Monarch Mauls Coral Springs For District Title

     The Monarch Knights roared by the Coral Springs Colts 48-0 at Coconut Creek High School on Thursday night. The Knights clinched the Class 4M District 12 title with a win over the Colts. 

     Monarch(7-2, 3-0) compiled 27 points in the first quarter and 21 points in the second quarter for 48-0 halftime lead over Coral Springs(4-5, 1-2). A running clock would be used for the second half of play. 

     Both will play traditional local rivals for their final contests of the 2023 regular season next week. The Knights will visit the Deerfield Beach Bucks at Butler Stadium. The Colts will host the Taravella Trojans. 

Chaminade-Madonna Routs St. John Paul II

     The Chaminade-Madonna Lions dominated the St. John Paul II Eagles 70-0 in Boca Raton on Thursday night. The Lions expanded their winning streak to 33 games. 

     Chaminade-Madonna(9-0) scored on the first play of the game. Kyle Washington returned the kickoff 99 yards for a score 14 seconds into the contest. 

     It became 14-0 for the Lions at the 9:52 mark. Quarterback Cedrick Bailey tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Denarius Gray in the front of the end zone. Linebacker Bryant Junius would return a blocked punt to the end zone for a 21-point margin at 7:56. 

     Chaminade-Madonna made it 28-0 with 5:23 left in the first. Bailey fired a 35-yard touchdown pass to Washington on the right sideline. 

     The Lions extended it to 35-0 with 3:27 remaining in the quarter. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Bailey on the left side of the end zone. 

     St. John Paul II(1-8) would trail 42-0 at 8:50 of the second quarter. Lions safety Darius Smith intercepted a pass for a score. A running clock was implemented for the remainder of the game. 

     It climbed up to a 49-point gap with 2:20 left in the second. Bailey compiled his fourth touchdown pass as he found Washington. 

     Chaminade-Madonna scored at 5:30 of the third quarter when running back Davion Gause scored on a touchdown run for a 56-0 lead. Backup quarterback Javarius Robinson would catch a touchdown pass from one of his wide receivers on a trick play for a 63-point gap. Lineman Rashawn Watson was shifted to the running back position and scored from 15 yards away with 9:15 left in the fourth quarter. 

     The Lions will make a long trip to St. Petersburg and challenge the Lakewood Spartans next week to end their regular season. The Eagles visit the Somerset Academy Key Lions at Deerfield Beach in a week. 

Team Attended NHL Drafts Ending

     The National Hockey League will have a change in their NHL Draft format beginning in 2025. All 32 NHL teams will not have their hockey operations personnel such as executives, general managers, scouts and coaching staffs attend in person on the arena floor for the two-day event. 

     All selections will be made by clubs from their home headquarters. It is a similar setup done by the NFL and NBA for their annual drafts. 

     There were several reasons for the eventual change. It would save teams expenses for travel, hotels and other social outings. In addition, there would be more privacy for conversations, interactions and making deals among hockey operations departments instead of doing it on site on the arena floor. There was also a short time span between the NHL Draft and free agency to make future decisions. 

     Eligible players would still be in attendance at future NHL Draft events. Players selected in the first round would be brought down from assigned seating to the arena floor to meet National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman for a photo opportunity. 

     Teams have attended the NHL Draft with all their hockey operations departments at an NHL venue for over the last 35 years. The Florida Panthers have hosted the annual NHL Draft on two separate occasions at the arena in Sunrise. It happened in 2001 and 2015. 

Heat Top Pistons In Season Opener

     The Miami Heat opened up their 36th season in the National Basketball Association with a 103-102 victory over the Detroit Pistons at Kaseya Center on Wednesday night. The Heat revealed their 2022-23 Eastern Conference Championship banner prior to the start of the contest. Miami has won eight of their last nine home openers.

     Detroit(0-1) jumped out to a 29-26 lead at the end of the first quarter. Miami(1-0) went on a 13-1 run to begin the second quarter and had a 58-47 halftime lead. 

     The Heat stayed in front and had an 83-75 advantage at the end of three quarters. Miami got 11 consecutive points to start the fourth quarter. The Pistons picked up a 9-2 spurt and cut it to 103-102 with 1:44 remaining.

     Jimmy Butler led Miami with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Bam Adebayo added 22 points and eight rebounds. Tyler Herro drained in 16 points while Duncan Robinson contributed 15 points. Cade Cunningham had 30 points for Detroit. 

Panthers Float By Sharks

     The Florida Panthers held off the San Jose Sharks 3-1 on Tuesday night at Amerant Bank Arena. The Panthers are in the middle of a four-game homestand with their next game versus the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. 

     It was rare 7:45 puck drop to begin a regular season contest in Sunrise. The National Hockey League had all 32 clubs play on the same day for just the second time in history. All 16 games were scattered at different start times.

     Neither team scored in the opening frame. San Jose(0-5-1) got a power-play goal at 8:30 of the second period when Fabian Zetterlund scored on a wrist shot from the left of the crease for a 1-0 lead.

     Florida(3-3-0) would take charge for the rest of the period. Carter Verhaeghe chalked up his third goal of the year on a snap shot from the low right circle at the 9:48 mark. Matthew Tkachuk, who passed the puck from behind the net, and Eetu Luostarinen were credited with assists on the play. 

     The Panthers took the lead 2-1 on the power play with 4:37 left in the second. Sam Reinhart picked up his seventh goal of the season on a rebound shot from the top of the crease with assists from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Evan Rodrigues. Reinhart extended his goal streak up to five games. 

     In the third period, the Sharks pulled their goalie for an extra attacker to start a power play with 3:14 to go. The Cats closed it out on a empty-net goal with 1.5 seconds remaining. Tkachuk fed a square pass at the red line and Kevin Stenlund snapped a shot from the top of the zone. 

Craig Anderson Officially Retires

     Craig Anderson has officially retired from the National Hockey League. He signed a one-day contract earlier today with the Ottawa Senators, who he played for 10 seasons with. Anderson will be honored prior to the Senators home games tonight against the team he played for in the last two seasons the Buffalo Sabres.

     Anderson was with the Panthers from 2006-07 to 2008-09. He chalked up a 24-14-7 record with a 2.52 goals-against-average in two seasons with Florida. Anderson finished his NHL career with a 319-275-73 record, 2.86 goals-against-average, .912 save percentage and 43 shutouts. 

ESPN Adds Andre Iguodala

     Former Miami Heat forward Andre Iguodala has joined ESPN. He will be a National Basketball Association studio analyst. The 2023-24 NBA regular season begins tonight. 

     Iguodala was with the Miami Heat during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns. He helped them win the Eastern Conference title before they fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 NBA Finals. Iguodala played in 84 games over two seasons with Miami. He did capture four NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors. 

Miami Central Hammers Carol City

     The Miami Central Rockets slammed the Carol City Chiefs 50-0 at Traz Powell Stadium in a Class 2M District 13 game on Monday night. The Rockets and the Chiefs participated in their second game during a nine-day stretch. 

     Miami Central(5-3, 2-1) had a 35-0 halftime advantage as they compiled 21 points in the first quarter and 14 points during the second quarter. Carol City(1-7, 0-4) surrendered eight points in the third quarter and seven points in the fourth quarter.  

     The Rockets will go on the road Friday and challenge the Monsignor Pace Spartans. The Chiefs will travel to take on the Hialeah Thoroughbreds in four days. 

Dillard Downs Boyd Anderson

     The Dillard Panthers powered by the Boyd Anderson Cobras 42-7 on Monday night in Fort Lauderdale. It was a contest between two Broward County high schools in Class 3M District 11.

     Dillard(5-3, 2-0) scored twice in the opening quarter to make it 14-0. Boyd Anderson(1-7, 0-2) found the end zone during the second quarter, however the Panthers were ahead 27-7 at halftime. Dillard expanded the lead to 42-7 in the third quarter. A running clock was implemented for the remainder of the game. 

     Both teams will have district games this coming Friday night. The Panthers will visit the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders with the Class 3M District 11 title on the line. The Cobras play at the Fort Lauderdale Flying L's.

Miami Heat 2023-24 Announcers

     The Miami Heat 2023-24 regular season will begin on Wednesday night at Kaseya Center against the Detroit Pistons. There will be no turnover or changes of on-air broadcast personnel from last season. 

     Eric Reid returns to the broadcast booth for his 36th season announcing Heat basketball. He will be the television play-by-play announcer alongside game analyst John Crotty on Bally Sports Sun. Jason Jackson and Will Manso with split duties as the studio host. Ron Rothstein and Amy Audibert will both be used as studio analysts. Jeremy Tache and Katie Saco are back as sideline reporters following their first seasons on the telecasts in 2022-23. 

     Jason Jackson holds the post for his third season as the radio play-by-play announcer on the Miami Heat Radio Network. Game analyst Amy Audibert is in her second season with the club's radio broadcasts. Tommy Tighe and Alejandro Solana work together for the second year as radio studio co-hosts. 

Eagles Attack Dolphins

     The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Miami Dolphins 31-17 at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday night. Both teams have not competed against each other since the 2019 season. 

     Each club had a field goal in the first quarter. Jake Elliott booted a 24-yard field goal at 7:57 for the Eagles. Jason Sanders made a 40-yard field goal with 1:03 left. 

     Philadelphia(5-1) got two touchdowns during the second quarter. Quarterback Jalen Hurts tossed a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dallas Goedert at the 11:25 mark. Hurts would later rush the ball up the middle from one yard away with 3:10 to go for a 17-3 lead.

     Miami(4-2) would cut it to 17-10 with 39 seconds remaining in the second. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa fired a 27-yard pass to wide receiver Tyreek Hill in the back left corner of the end zone. 

     The Fins would capitalize on a Philadelphia turnover with 4:02 left in the third quarter to even it up 17-17. Jerome Baker intercepted a pass and returned it for a score. 

     The Eagles regained the lead 24-17 with 15 seconds to go in the third. Hurts completed a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver A.J. Brown on the right side. They extended their lead to 31-17 at 4:46 of the fourth quarter when running back Kenneth Gainwell went through the left side of the line from three yards out. 

Christopher Bell Gets 4EVER 400

     Christopher Bell took the 4EVER 400 in the NASCAR Cup Series at Homestead- Miami Speedway on Sunday. It was the last of three NASCAR events held at that venue during the weekend. 

     There were 25 lead changes in the race. Bell finished first followed by Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, William Byron, A.J. Allmendinger, Bubba Wallace, Ty Gibbs and Joey Logano. 

Sam Mayer Captures Contenders Boats 300

     Homestead-Miami Speedway hosted the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday. It was the second NASCAR event at the venue this weekend. 

     Sam Mayer held off the competition on the final lap to win the event. He finished in front of Riley Herbst by 0.227 seconds for the victory. Mayer earned a spot for the Championship Four in that circuit. 

Carson Hocevar Wins Baptist Health Cancer Care 200

     The NASCAR Gander RVA Outdoors Truck Series returned to Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday. Carson Hocevar ended up winning the race, Ben Rhodes finished second and Corey Heim was in third.

     There were eight lead changes during the event. Hocevar qualified as one of four drivers for the Championship Four playoffs.

Inter MiamI CF Lose Season Finale

     Inter Miami Cf finished their 2023 Major League Soccer season as they were blanked by Charlotte FC 1-0 at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday night. The home team is one of the few MLS clubs that plays in a National Football League venue. Both squads met each other back on Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale which turned out to be a 1-1 tie.  

     Charlotte FC(10-11-13) got the only goal of the contest by Kerwin Vargas in the 13th minute. He got his second tally in the last two games. Inter Miami CF(9-18-7), who finished 14th in the Eastern Conference standings, will play two international friendlies in China next month. 

Hurricanes Survive Clemson

     The University of Miami Hurricanes got the last laugh against the Clemson University Tigers 28-20 in double overtime on Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium. Both teams are in the middle of the Atlantic Coast Conference standings. 

      The game was tied 7-7 at halftime. Clemson(4-3, 2-3) was able to break out to a 17-7 lead with 10 points in the third quarter. Miami(5-2, 1-2) picked up a touchdown early in the fourth and a 38-yard field goal from Andres Borregales. 

     Both teams exchanged field goals in the first overtime. The Canes added a three-yard touchdown run along with a two-point conversion run by Ajay Allen in the second overtime to get the win. 

Canucks Ice Panthers

     The Vancouver Canucks scrapped the Florida Panthers 5-3 on Saturday night at Amerant Bank Arena. The Panthers continued their four-game homestand.

     Vancouver(3-2-0) raced out to a 1-0 lead at 11:29 of the first period as Quinn Hughes scored on a wrist shot during the man advantage. Aleksander Barkov tied it up 1-1 for Florida(2-3-0) just 20 seconds later for his first tally of the year. 

     The second period would belong to the Canucks. Carson Soucy put in his first career power-play goal on a wrist shot with 9:29 left in the frame. They extended it to 3-1 when Elias Pettersson released a wrist shot by Sergei Bobrovsky for his second goal this season just 34 seconds later. 

     The Panthers would chop at the lead twice in the third period and they were tied 3-3. Sam Reinhart scored on backhand shot at the 6:01 mark and a snap shot with 5:59 to go. He is the leading Cats scorer with six goals in 2023-24. 

     Vancouver reclaimed the lead 4-3 as Andrei Kuzmenko scored on a shot with 4:57 remaining. Brock Boeser chalked up his sixth goal of the season on a wrist shot with 2:10 left in the third for a 5-3 advantage. 

Chaminade-Madonna Pounds Avant Garde

     The Chaminade-Madonna Lions shut out the Avant Garde Academy Sharks 64-0 at Vince Zappone Field on Friday night in Hollywood. The Lions now have a 32-game winning streak dating back to Week 2 during the 2021 season. 

     Chaminade-Madonna(8-0) proved it was never a close game versus Avant Garde Academy(5-4). A running clock was implemented for the entire second half. 

     The Lions make a long trip to Boca Raton in a week and battle with the St. John Paul II Eagles. The Sharks will host Somerset Prep next week to complete their regular season. 

Heat Lose To Rockets

     The Miami Heat played their final preseason game and were defeated by the Houston Rockets 110-104 at Toyota Center on Friday night. The Heat will begin their 2023-24 campaign when they host the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.

     Miami had a 31-30 lead at the end of one quarter. Houston passed over them in the second quarter and had a 66-53 halftime lead. The Heat trailed 81-71 at the conclusion of the third quarter. The Rockets never relinquished the lead throughout the second half of play. 

St. Thomas Aquinas Defeats Monarch

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders outdueled the Monarch Knights 35-19 at Coconut Creek High School on Friday night. Both are considered two of the best Broward County high school teams this season. 

     St. Thomas Aquinas(8-1) was ahead 7-6 after the first quarter and remained in front 21-12 at halftime. STA would add two more touchdowns in the third quarter for a 23-point margin. Monarch (6-2) reached the end zone once in the final quarter. 

     The Raiders will finish off their Class 3M District 11 slate hosting the Dillard Panthers next week. The Knights look to clinch the Class 4M District 12 title in a week as they host the Coral Springs Colts. 

Cardinal Gibbons Drops Boca Raton

     The Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs went up I-95 to knock off the Boca Raton Bobcats 31-19 on Friday night. It was the first matchup between the two high schools from different counties. 

     After a scoreless first quarter, Cardinal Gibbons(6-2) had a 10-7 lead by halftime. The Chiefs added 14 more points in the third quarter and led 24-7 after three quarters. Boca Raton(5-3) did outscore their opponent 12-7 in the fourth, however they ended up falling short. 

     The Chiefs return home in a week and take on the Stranahan Dragons in a Class 2M District 12 game. The Bobcats will go up north for a Class 4M District 11 contest against the Lake Worth Trojans. 

Norland Squeezes By Columbus

     The Columbus Explorers lost to the Miami Norland Vikings 13-6 on Friday night. Both teams entered having two of the best 2023 regular season records throughout Dade County.

     Miami Norland(8-0) had a 9-0 advantage when the contest reached halftime. Columbus(7-2) managed a field goal during the third quarter. The Vikings pulled away with a touchdown in the final quarter. 

     The Explorers will play a Class 4M District 15 game as they host the Goleman Gators in a week. The Vikings will make the trip to the North Miami Beach Chargers next week. 

Atlantic Takes Dwyer And District Title

     The Atlantic Eagles handled the Dwyer Panthers 28-7 at Eagles Stadium in Delray Beach on Friday night. The Eagles wrapped up the Class 3M District 9 title with the victory over the Panthers. 

     Atlantic(7-1, 2-0) powered out with a 21-0 lead by halftime.  Dwyer(2-6, 0-2) and the Eagles scored seven points each during the third quarter. 

     The Eagles will visit The Muck and challenge the Glades Central Raiders next week. The Panthers host the Seminole Ridge Hawks in a district battle one week from now.

Palm Beach Central Falls To Palm Beach Gardens

     The Palm Beach Central Broncos were upended by the Palm Beach Gardens Gators 23-14 on Friday night at Mullinax Ford Stadium. It was a clash between two large-sized Palm Beach County high schools. The Broncos were the final team in Palm Beach County that was undefeated. 

     Both teams were competitive in the first half with Palm Beach Central(7-1) up 14-10 at the midway point. Palm Beach Gardens(5-3) rallied with 13 points in the third quarter to move ahead. 

     The Broncos will stay on the road in a week and travel west on Southern Boulevard to the Wellington Wolverines for a Class 4M District 10 contest. The Gators will host the Jupiter Warriors with the Class 4M District 9 title on the line next week.

Jeff DeForrest Joins Tony Bruno Sports Network

     Jeff DeForrest and Mike Lubitz will be joining the Tony Bruno Radio Network on October 30. They will both co-host a late morning show. Both have co-hosted a podcast at Five Reasons Sports Network since October 2021 and later at Bleav Network. 

     DeForrest has been on the South Florida radio airwaves for more than 40 years. He had stints with WINZ-FM, WINZ-AM, WIOD-AM, WQAM-AM, WFTL-AM, WAXY-AM, WSBR-AM, WWNN-AM, WMEN-AM and WBZT-AM. 

     Lubitz has been known to being the on-air sidekick and executive producer of the Jeff DeForrest Show for over a decade. He will now have his name on the marquee of the program. 

Jim Leyland Hall Of Fame Nominee

     Former Florida Marlins manager Jim Leyland has been nominated to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Eras Committee. He will need 12 votes among 16 voters in a couple of months to be elected into the shrine in Cooperstown, New York. 

     Leyland guided the Marlins to their first postseason appearance and World Series title in 1997. He also helped the Pittsburgh Pirates capture three National League East Division title in 1990, 1991 and 1992. Leyland was at the helm for two American League pennants with the Detroit Tigers in 2006 and 2012. 

Panthers Top Maple Leafs In Home Opener

     The Florida Panthers opened up their 30th anniversary season home opener in the National Hockey League with a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday night. It was the Panthers 25th home opener at their current venue in Sunrise.   

     Florida(2-2-0) took a 1-0 lead with 2:52 remaining in the first period. John Klingberg made a backhand clearing pass from the end wall. Kevin Stenlund stopped it on the right wing and then sent a wrist shot from the top right circle by Ilya Samsonov for his first goal of 2023-24.

     It became 2-0 for the Cats with 6.9 seconds left in the frame. Sam Reinhart pushed the puck from behind the cage to Aleksander Barkov in the right corner. He angled a pass back to the right point and Oliver Ekman-Larsson snapped a shot for his first goal with his new team. 

     In the second period, Toronto(2-2-0) closed it to 2-1 on the power play with 8:08 to go. William Nylander fed a pass from the left-circle dot and John Tavares smashed one-time slap shot from the high slot which was saved by Sergei Bobrovsky. Mitch Marner poked in the rebound with a backhand shot from the left of the crease for his first tally of the year.

     The Maple Leafs had a 6-on-4 power-play opportunity with more than a minute remaining in the third period. Sam Reinhart fired a shot from his own blue line into the empty net with one second left for his fourth goal of the season. 

Miami Central Move By Southridge

     The Miami Central Rockets beat the Southridge Spartans 41-0 on Thursday night. The Rockets began a three-game stretch of contests over the next nine days. 

     Miami Central(4-3) compiled 10 points during the first quarter and 10 points in the second for a 20-0 halftime lead.  Southridge(6-3) gave up another 15 points in the third quarter and trailed 35-0. 

     The Rockets will have a Class 2M District 13 game versus the Carol City Chiefs on Monday. The Spartans will take on the Southwest Eagles at home next week. 

Boynton Beach Stunned By Hollywood Hills

     The Boynton Beach Tigers blew an 18-point lead and lost to the Hollywood Hills Spartans 26-24 in Boynton Beach on Thursday night. Both teams played each other on the gridiron in their first ever meeting. 

     Boynton Beach(1-6) had a field goal in the opening quarter and added two rushing touchdowns by Bobby T. Smith from eight yards and 12 yards away during the second quarter. Hollywood Hills(3-4) was able to cut it to 17-6 with two minutes left in the first half. 

     Smith added a two-yard touchdown run for the Tigers midway through the third quarter for a 24-6 advantage. The Spartans got three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to take a 26-24 lead. 

     The Tigers will head to Delray Beach next week and face the American Heritage Stallions. The Spartans will host the South Broward Bulldogs in a week. 

Miami Northwestern Bombs Coral Gables

     The Miami Northwestern Bulls pounded the Coral Gables Cavaliers 42-0 on Thursday afternoon. It was a game between two Dade County teams. 

     Miami Northwestern(3-6) put up 21 points in the first quarter and 14 points in the second quarter. Coral Gables(4-4) surrendered seven more points in the final quarter. 

     The Bulls will finish their regular season at the LaSalle Royal Lions in a week. The Cavaliers will host the South Dade Buccaneers next week. 

Inter Miami CF Draws In Home Finale

     Inter Miami CF and Charlotte FC ended in a 2-2 tie at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday night. It was the final Major League Soccer home game for Inter Miami CF during the 2023 season. Both teams will face each other on Saturday in Charlotte.  

     Charlotte FC(9-11-13) got out to a 1-0 lead when Enzo Copetti scored in the 45th minute. Inter Miami CF(9-17-7) evened it up 1-1 as Nicolas Stefanelli was able to score during stoppage time to end the first half. 

     It became 2-1 for Charlotte FC as they got a tally from Kerwin Vargas during the 52nd minute. The game was tied again by Inter Miami CF 2-2 in the 84th minute on a goal by Robbie Robinson. 

Nets Get By Heat

     The Brooklyn Nets edged the Miami Heat 107-104 on Wednesday night at Kaseya Center. The Heat will open their 2023-24 campaign next Wednesday night at home against the Detroit Pistons. 

     Miami scooted out to a 34-29 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Heat remained in front 59-58 by halftime. Brooklyn held a slight 79-77 advantage at the end of three quarters. The Nets capped the final quarter on an 8-4 run. 

FHSAA Football Championship Games

     All 2023 FHSAA championship football games will be held in Tallahassee in December. It was decided by the Florida High School Athletic Association last month. The city of Tallahassee hosted all the championship games in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

     DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale held some of the high school football title games over the past two years. They had the Class 8A, 7A, 6A, 5A and 4A title contests in 2021 along with the Class 4M, 3M, 2M, 4S and 3S title contests in 2022. 

Panthers Slide By Devils

     The Florida Panthers held off the New Jersey Devils 4-3 at Prudential Center on Monday night. Sergei Bobrovsky tied John Vanbiesbrouck for second place in Florida Panthers franchise history with his 106th career victory.

     The Panthers completed a three-game road trip to begin the regular season. They will reveal their 2022-23 Eastern Conference Champions banner on Thursday night prior to their home opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

     Florida(1-2-0) had a 1-0 advantage at the 3:54 mark of the first period. Evan Rodrigues snapped a shot from the top right circle and it was deflected in by Sam Reinhart in the low slot for his second goal of the campaign. Aleksander Barkov was credited with a secondary assist on the play. 

     The Panthers expanded it to 2-0 with 6:48 left in the first. Matthew Tkachuk lifted a long lead pass from his own zone. Carter Verhaeghe picked it up in the right circle and then roofed a backhand shot from the right of the crease for his second tally of the season. 

     New Jersey(1-1-1) trailed 3-0 with 8:42 remaining in the second period. Niko Mikkola scored with a wrist shot on assists from Tkachuk and Dmitry Kulikov. 

     In the third period, the Cats made it a four-goal margin with the man advantage 59 seconds into the frame. Oliver Ekman-Larsson fired a shot from the blue line and Reinhart redirected it from the top of the crease for his second goal of the game. 

     The Devils finally broke the shutout while on the power play at the 3:35 mark and were down 4-1. Jack Hughes released a snap shot from the top of the zone and it was deflected in by Erik Haula from the top of the crease. 

     New Jersey cut it to 4-2 at 8:51. Haula blasted a slap shot from the right circle which was saved by Bobrovsky. Michael McLeod tapped the puck in from the left side of the crease.

     The Devils pulled their goalie with 4:14 to go in the period. It eventually led to a power-play goal by Jesper Bratt when he snapped a shot with 2:23 remaining. 

Florida Panthers Ink Jonah Gadjovich

     The Florida Panthers have signed forward Jonah Gadjovich to a one-year, one-way contract. The Cats looked to improve their core of forwards on the squad. 

     Gadjovich spent the last two seasons with the San Jose Sharks. He ended up compiling seven points in 35 games last season. 

Kim Ng Gone From Miami Marlins

     Miami Marlins general manager Kim Ng has parted ways from the organization. Ng declined her mutual option for the 2024 season, even though the team wanted her back. 

     Ng was named the general manager of the team in November 2020. She was the first woman to be named to a general manager position in Major League Baseball and for any North American top-level, professional men's sport. 

     She has held different positions in the baseball industry since 1998. Ng was the assistant general manager for the New York Yankees and later with the Los Angeles Dodgers. She was working for Major League Baseball as vice president of baseball operations prior to her arrival in Miami. 

     The Marlins reached the postseason as a National League Wild-Card team in 2023 with a 84-78 record. They compiled their most wins in a season since 2009. Miami lost to the Philadelphia Phillies during the first round in two games. 

Heat Hunt Down Grizzlies

     The Miami Heat disposed the Memphis Grizzlies 132-124 on Sunday night at Kaseya Center. The Heat continued their preseason schedule.

     Memphis fired out to a 31-27 lead at the end of the first quarter and held a 68-58 lead at halftime. Miami closed the gap to 101- 98 after three quarters. The Heat outscored the Grizzlies 34-23 in the fourth quarter, which included a 24-9 run in the final 7:45. 

     Tyler Herro scored a game-high 30 points for the Heat while Bam Adebayo added 26 points. Desmond Bane led the way for Memphis with a club-high 26 points. 

Dolphins Place Down Panthers

     The Miami Dolphins passed by the Carolina Panthers 42-21 at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. The Dolphins have won two straight games. 

     Carolina(0-6) shockingly scored the first 14 points of the contest during the first quarter. Miami(5-1) answered back 21 straight points in the second quarter for a 21-14 halftime lead. The Fins added a touchdown in the third quarter and another touchdown early in the final quarter for a 35-14 advantage.

North Carolina Streaks By Hurricanes

     The University of Miami Hurricanes were upended by the University of North Carolina Tar Heels 41--31 at Chris Smith Field in Chapel Hill on Saturday night. The Canes lost their second straight Atlantic Coast Conference game. The Tar Heels are in second place behind the Florida State Seminoles in the ACC standings. 

     Miami(4-2, 0-2) was able to get a field goal in the final seconds of the second quarter for a 17-14 halftime lead. Carolina(6-0, 3-0) reached the end zone in their first three possessions of the second half for a 35-17 advantage. 

Blanche Ely Shuts Out Deerfield Beach

     It was the annual McDougle Bowl as the Blanche Ely Tigers blanked the Deerfield Beach Bucks 36-0 at Richard L. Williams Stadium on Friday night in a Class 3M District 10 battle. The Tigers have defeated the Bucks in the past two seasons after falling in the previous 10 occasions.

     Blanche Ely(6-1, 1-1) broke out to the lead during the first quarter. Deerfield Beach(2-5, 0-2) could not come close to scoring in the rest of the contest. 

     The Tigers will stay at home and host the Piper Bengals in a week. The Bucks return home next week and clash with the Plantation Colonels. 

Jets Drift By Panthers

     The Winnipeg Jets outmuscled the Florida Panthers 6-4 on Saturday at Canada Life Centre. The Panthers will finish their three-game road trip on Monday at the New Jersey Devils. 

     Winnipeg(1-1-0) jumped out a 1-0 lead on Mark Scheifele wrist shot during the power play at 3:30 of the first period. Florida(0-2-0) evened it up 1-1 on a power-play goal by Sam Reinhart tip-in shot with 2:57 to go in the first. 

     The Panthers climbed to their first lead of the contest 2-1 just 25 seconds into the second period as Even Rodrigues scored his first goal with his new club on a backhand shot. 

     The Jets leaped by the Cats with three goals in the remainder of the period for a 4-2 lead. Kyle Connor scored at the 35-second mark on a snap shot. Morgan Barron put in a wrist shot at 8:20 and Dylan DeMelo added another tally at 9:55 on a wrist shot.

     Winnipeg increased it to a three-goal margin when Mason Appleton scored a shorthanded goal on a wrist shot with 5:43 left in the third period. Florida compiled two goals in a 1:05 span as Carter Verhaeghe and Rodrigues found the net. Connor nailed his second tally of the contest for the Jets on a power-play goal with 1:10 remaining. 

Spurs Walk By Heat

     The San Antonio Spurs beat the Miami Heat 120-104 on Friday night at Frost Bank Center. The Heat are over a week away from the start of the regular season. 

     Miami had a slight 25-24 advantage at the end of the first quarter. San Antonio would go ahead 59-56 by halftime. The Spurs were in front 86-84 at the end of three quarters. They pulled away during the final quarter as they outscored the Heat 34-20. 

     San Antonio rookie player Victor Wenbamyama placed in a team-high 23 points. Jamal Cain was able to drop in a game-high 24 points for Miami. 

Miami Norland Slips By Miami Central

     The Miami Central Rockets fell to the Miami Norland Vikings 29-26 in overtime at Traz Powell Stadium on Friday night. Both Dade County high schools are in Class 2M District 13. 

     Miami Central(3-3, 1-1) ripped out to a 20-0 lead by halftime. Miami Norland(7-0, 3-0) went on a 26-6 run during the second half to tie it up 26-26 early in the fourth quarter. The Rockets failed to score in overtime and then the Vikings were able to kick a field goal for the victory. 

     The Rockets makes the trip to the Southridge Spartans in a week. The Vikings schedule does not get easier next week when they challenge the defending FHSAA Class 4M state champion Columbus Explorers.

Cardinal Newman Powers By St. John Paul II

     The Cardinal Newman Crusaders easily handled the St. John Paul II Eagles 70-6 on Friday night in Boca Raton. The Crusaders stayed undefeated during the 2023 regular season. 

     Cardinal Newman(6-1) returns home to West Palm Beach and will have a major small-school showdown with the Benjamin Buccaneers next week. St. John Paul II(1-6) will make a long trip up to Tallahassee in a week and face the same-named high school St. John Paul II. 

American Heritage Wrecks Stranahan

     The American Heritage Patriots dominated the Stranahan Dragons 63-16 at Heritage Field on Friday night. Both high schools battled it out in a Class 2M District 12 game with the Patriots clinching the district title. 

     American Heritage(5-1, 2-0) compiled 49 points in the first half.  Stranahan(3-4, 1-1) was unable to cut down the lead throughout the contest. 

     The Patriots will remain home next week and face the Naples Golden Eagles. The Dragons will host the Coral Glades Jaguars in a week. 

Atlantic Tops Seminole Ridge

     The Atlantic Eagles flew by the Seminole Ridge Hawks 43-13 on Friday night in Loxahatchee. It was a clash between two Palm Beach County teams in Class 3M District 9. 

     Seminole Ridge(5-2, 0-1) moved out in front 7-0 in the first quarter. Atlantic(6-1, 1-0) responded with 21 points in the second quarter and nine points in the third quarter. 

     The Eagles can clinch the district title next week as they host the Dwyer Panthers. The Hawks will remain home and face the Park Vista Cobras in a week. 

St. Thomas Aquinas Blows Out Fort Lauderdale

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders routed the Fort Lauderdale Flying L's 42-0 at AutoNation Sports Field on Friday night. It was a Class 3M District 11 matchup between two Broward County teams. 

     St. Thomas Aquinas(7-1, 2-0) rolled out to a 42-0 lead during the first half against Fort Lauderdale(1-5, 0-1). A running clock was used for the second half of play. 

     The Raiders will play their second straight week on the road as they challenge the Monarch Knights. The Flying L's will have another district contest at home versus the Dillard Panthers next week. 

Panthers Lose Season Opener Versus Wild

     The Florida Panthers opened up their 30th season in National Hockey League with a 2-0 defeat to the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center on Wednesday night. The Panthers next visit the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday to complete their two-game road trip. 

     The Panthers outshot the Wild nine to two in the first six minutes of the first frame. Minnesota(1-0-0) got a 1-0 lead at the 7:54 mark of the first period on a snap shot by Brock Faber from the top of the zone. It turned out to be his first NHL goal. 

     Florida(0-1-0) trailed 2-0 with 7:04 left in the second period. Joel Eriksson Ek released a wrist shot from the top of the crease for a power-play goal. 

Glades Central Edges Inlet Grove

     The Glades Central Raiders got by the Inlet Grove Hurricanes 7-6 at Effie C. Grear Field in Belle Glade on Thursday night in a Class 2M District 9 game. It has been a disappointing regular season for both Palm Beach County high schools. 

     Glades Central(1-5), who entered the contest winless, scored a touchdown during the first quarter. Inlet Grove(2-5) answered back with a touchdown in the third quarter, however they missed the extra point. 

     The Raiders will stay at home and face the Suncoast Chargers in a week. The Hurricanes will host the Clewiston Tigers next week. 

Palm Beach Central Cans Forest Hill

     The Palm Beach Central Broncos powered by the Forest Hill Falcons 48-12 at Broncos Stadium on Thursday night. It was a battle between two Palm Beach County teams in Class 4M District 10. 

     Palm Beach Central(7-0) moved out to a 14-6 advantage after one quarter. Forest Hill(3-4) fell behind more and trailed 35-12 at halftime. The Broncos would add 13 more points during the third quarter. 

     The undefeated Broncos will travel to the Palm Beach Gardens Gators next week. The Falcons will return home and challenge the Jupiter Warriors in a week. 

Booker T. Washington Downs Miami Northwestern

     The Booker T. Washington Tornadoes defeated the Miami Northwestern Bulls 28-20 on Thursday night at Traz Powell Stadium in a Class 2M District 14 game. It was a tangle between two of the more recognized Dade County high school football programs. 

     Booker T. Washington(4-2) rocketed out to a 28-0 lead by halftime with three touchdowns in the opening quarter. Miami Northwestern(2-6) compiled 20 points during the second half. 

     The Tornadoes will face the Miami Edison Red Raiders in four days. The Bulls will visit the Coral Gables Cavaliers in a week. 

Florida Panthers Telecasts

     The Florida Panthers television broadcasts return to Bally Sports Florida beginning tonight. It is unknown if the Panthers television rights will still be owned by Diamond Sports Group throughout the entire 2023-24 season. That organization may not continue paying for the television rights and it could revert to the Florida Panthers or the National Hockey League.  

    Steve Goldstein comes back as the television play-by-play announcer for the 17th consecutive season. Randy Moller will be in the broadcast booth with him as the game analyst. Jessica Blaylock and Craig Minervini will share the studio host role. Katie Engleson returns for her second season as the rinkside reporter. Ed Jovanovski and Jeff Chychrun will be the studio game analysts. 

Jeff Rimer Retiring

     Original Florida Panthers television play-by-play announcer Jeff Rimer will be retiring at the end of the 2023-24 National Hockey League season. He has been the television voice of the Columbus Blue Jackets since the 2005-06 campaign.  

     Rimer was first noticed as a radio sportscaster at CFCF-AM where he covered the Montreal Canadiens and the Montreal Expos. He became the sports director at WBAL-AM in Baltimore and later the television play-by-play announcer of the Washington Capitals in the mid-1980s. Rimer shared announcing duties along with Kenny Albert for two seasons in 1992-93 and 1993-94. 

     He joined the Florida Panthers as their television play-by-play announcer for their inaugural season in 1993-94 on Sunshine Network with Denis Potvin as his game analyst. Rimer stayed with the club for 11 seasons until the 2003-04 season. 

30th Anniversary Panthers First Home Game

     The Florida Panthers celebrated the 30th anniversary of their first home game in franchise history on Thursday. The Panthers hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins at Miami Arena on October 12, 1993. 

     Pittsburgh ended up edging Florida 2-1. Martin Straka scored for the Pens with 2:20 to go in the second period for a 1-0 lead. Jaromir Jagr and Marty McSorley got the assists on the play. 

     Joe Mullen gave the Penguins a 2-0 advantage at the 3:51 mark of the third period on a shorthanded goal. Scott Mellanby scored the Panthers only goal that night with 8:32 left in the third on assists from Evgeny Davydov and Rob Niedermayer. 

Brian Boyle Joining Podcast

     Former Florida Panthers center Brian Boyle is venturing into another area in the media. He is the new co-host of Up In The Blue Seats New York Rangers podcast at the New York Post. Boyle has worked as a studio analyst at NHL Network since March. 

     Boyle played for the Panthers during the 2019-20 season and they made the postseason for the first time in four years. He chalked up six goals and nine assists for 15 points in 39 games with Florida. 

Heat Steer By Hornets

     The Miami Heat came back with a 113-109 victory over the Charlotte Hornets at Kaseya Center on Tuesday night. It was the first preseason contest played by the Heat in 2023-24. 

     Miami had a 28-25 advantage after one quarter and stayed ahead 53-52 at halftime. Charlotte had a slight 80-78 lead at the end of three quarters. 

     The Heat were down 104-95 with 3:41 remaining in the fourth quarter. They went on an 18-5 run to get the win. Tyler Herro led Miami with game-high 22 points while Lamelo Ball had a team-high 17 points for the Hornets. 

Pete Sheppard Leaves WBCN-AM

     Pete Sheppard has left his position as the afternoon co-host at ESPN Southwest Florida WBCN-AM in Fort Myers. He co-hosted the program with Craig Shemon for over six years. They did work together at WWCN-FM before it flipped the format from sports talk in May 2021. 

     Sheppard did have a long reign in Boston prior to his arrival in Florida. He was an afternoon sports anchor and sports host at WEEI-AM and WEEI-FM. 

Florida Panthers 2023-24 Roster

     The Florida Panthers have announced their roster for the start of the 2023-24 season. It will be the 30th season for the franchise in the National Hockey League. There are 24 players on the roster. 

     The Panthers will have 13 forwards. It will include Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, Eetu Luostarinen, Anton Lundell, Ryan Lomberg, Steven Loretz, Evan Rodrigues, Nick Cousins, Kevin Stenlund and Mackie Samoskevich. 

     Gustav Forsling, Josh Mahura, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Dmitry Kulikov, Niko Mikkola, Mike Reilly and Uvis Balinskis are the Florida defensemen. Two more defensemen will begin on the injured list. They are mainstays Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour. 

      The Cats will be carrying two goalies. They will be Sergei Bobrovsky, who will see more action in net, along with Anthony Stolarz.  

30th Anniversary Panthers First Win

     Today is the 30th anniversary of the Florida Panthers first victory in franchise history. The team would play their first home regular season game in Miami Arena three days later. 

     The Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 at The Thunderdome in St. Petersburg. The facility is now known as Tropicana Field where the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team currently plays. 

     Scott Levins scored a power-play goal and his second goal of the season at the 2:19 of the second period. Tom Fitzgerald capped the victory with an empty-net goal with 27 seconds remaining in the third. 

Florida Panthers Radio Network

     The Florida Panthers 30th season in the National Hockey League will begin on Thursday night at the Minnesota Wild. The Florida Panthers Radio Network won't have any changes in their on-air talent for the 2023-24 campaign. 

     Doug Plagens will be working his ninth season as the play-by-play announcer. He surpasses Randy Moller with the most seasons and most games called as the team's radio voice. Bill Lindsay returns as a radio game analyst for the ninth consecutive season on home games. Kevin Rogers will again be the studio host for the network. 

     AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM in Miami is the flagship station of the Florida Panthers Radio Network. It has been that way since the 2010-11 season. Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler WBZT-AM is the Palm Beach County affiliate for the second straight NHL season. Thunder Country WCTH-FM in Key West returns as an affiliate while WCZR-FM in Vero Beach has been added to the network as an affiliate station. 

Dolphins Knock Down Giants

     The Miami Dolphins handled the New York Giants 31-16 at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. It was just the second time that the Giants have played a game in Miami over the last 20 years. Both teams had a Dolphins home game versus New York played in London back in the late 2000s. 

     Miami(4-1) had a 7-0 lead with 7:09 left in the first quarter. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa tossed a two-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle on the left side. 

     The Dolphins made it 14-0 at the 10:02 mark of the second quarter. Running back De'Von Achane raced down 76 yards down the left sideline for the score.

     New York(1-4) cut it to 14-3 on a 49-yard field goal by Graham Gano with 3:46 to go in the quarter. The Giants made it 14-10 with 1:40 left in the second. Defensive back Jason Pinnock intercepted a pass and returned it 102 yards for a touchdown to tie a Giants franchise record. It was the first touchdown in the first half for New York Giants so far in the 2023 regular season. The Dolphins got a 40-yard field goal from Jason Sanders at the end of the first half for a 17-10 advantage. 

Panthers Lose Gregori Denisenko

     The Vegas Golden Knights claimed left wing Gregori Denisenko off waivers. He was placed on waivers by the Florida Panthers on Friday. 

     Denisenko saw action with the Panthers during the past three seasons. He compiled seven assists in 26 games while with Florida. Denisenko competed in 18 contests last season. 

Georgia Tech Stuns Hurricanes

     The University of Miami Hurricanes were shocked by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 23-20 at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday night. The Hurricanes had a bye last week and will face Atlantic Coast Conference opponents for the rest of the season. 

Homestead Stops Columbus

     The Homestead Broncos knocked off the undefeated Columbus Explorers 32-16 on Saturday night in Dade County. The Explorers are the defending FHSAA Class 4M state champions. The Broncos were a Class 3M state finalist and lost to the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders in the title game last year. 

     Columbus(6-1) rolled out to a 7-0 advantage in the first quarter. Homestead(4-1) moved ahead to a 19-10 lead by halftime. The Explorers could not keep up during the second half as they were outscored 13-6 in the fourth quarter.  

     The Explorers will be home in a week versus the Doral Academy Firebirds for a Class 4M District 15 clash. The Broncos will host the Southridge Spartans in a Class 3M District 16 contest next week. 

Inter Miami CF Blanked By FC Cincinnati

     Inter Miami CF was shut out by FC Cincinnati 1-0 on Saturday night at DRV PNK Stadium. Both teams met in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinals back in late August which resulted in penalty kicks to decide the game. 

     Lionel Messi entered the game during the 55th minute of play for Inter Miami CF. He had missed the previous seven games with the team. 

     FC Cincinnati(20-5-8), who is in first place in the Major League Soccer standings, got the only goal in the contest by Alvaro Barreal in the 78th minute. Inter Miami CF(9-17-6) is now winless in their last five games in all competitions. 

Lightning Crack Panthers

     The Florida Panthers lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 on Saturday night at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise. It was the final preseason game for both teams. 

     The Panthers will open up their 30th season on Thursday night at the Minnesota Wild. The Lightning will host the Nashville Predators on Thursday. 

     Tampa Bay ripped up to a 1-0 lead with a tip-in goal by Tanner Jeannot at the 2:37 mark of the opening frame. Ryan Lomberg tied the contest up 1-1 on a shorthanded goal at 11:34. 

     The Bolts regained the lead 2-1 on a backhand tally by Anthony Cirelli with 2:59 left in the first period. The Panthers answered back just 32 seconds later when Eetu Luostarinen scored on a wrist shot. 

     The Lightning held the Cats off the scoreboard for the rest of the game. Tampa Bay compiled a shorthanded goal by Brandon Hagel with 7:32 remaining in the second period for a 3-2 lead. They made it 4-2 when Brayden Point got a goal on a wrist shot 40 seconds into the third period. 

Matt Moore Exits Marlins

     Matt Moore has left the Miami Marlins and has declared himself as a free agent. He was designated for assignment by the club on Sunday. 

     Moore was picked up on waivers by the Marlins from the Cleveland Guardians on September 19 and was not eligible for the postseason play with the Fish. He made four relief appearances with Miami down the stretch and surrendered no runs. 

Sandy Alcantara Gone For 2024 Season

     Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara will not be playing for the club in the 2024 season. He had Tommy John surgery performed on him today. 

     Alcantara has been with the Marlins franchise since the 2018 season when he was involved in a five-player trade for Marcell Ozuna. He has been named to the National League All-Star Team twice in 2019 and 2022. He helped the Marlins reached the postseason for the first time in 17 years back in 2020. 

     His best season was in 2022 with a 14-9 record and a 2.28 earned run average in a major-league high 228 2/3 innings pitched. Alcantara was named the National League Cy Young Award winner that year.

Miami Central Overcomes Miami Northwestern

     The Miami Central Rockets came back on the Miami Northwestern Bulls 17-10 at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami on Friday night. Although their records during the 2023 regular season does not show it, both Dade County high schools have been considered two of the best teams in the state over the past 20 years,

     Miami Northwestern(2-5), who snapped a three-game losing streak to Cardinal Newman last week, jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. Both high schools scored a touchdown in the second quarter and the Bulls had a 10-7 halftime lead. Miami Central(2-2) put up 10 points during the third quarter to take the lead 17-10.

     The Rockets will take on the Norland Vikings in a Class 2M District 13 game next week. The Bulls will be at Traz Powell Stadium in a week and face the Booker T. Washington Tornadoes. 

Cardinal Gibbons Bat Down Belen Jesuit

     The Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs went to Dade County and defeated the Belen Jesuit Wolverines 43-28 on Friday night. The Chiefs bounced back from a district road loss last week at the American Heritage Patriots. 

     Cardinal Gibbons(4-2) pulled out to a 7-0 lead during the first quarter. Belen Jesuit(3-4) was able to keep the contest close throughout the remainder of the game. 

     The Chiefs return home and face the Hallandale Chargers next week in a Class 2M District 12 clash. The Wolverines will a bye week and then host the Gulliver Prep Raiders two weeks from now. 

St. Thomas Aquinas Blasts Boyd Anderson

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders pounded the Boyd Anderson Cobras 58-0 on Friday night at Simmons Family Field in Fort Lauderdale. It was a matchup between two Class 3M District 12 teams. 

     St. Thomas Aquinas(6-1) piled on 21 points in the first quarter and 21 points in the second quarter for a 42-0 halftime lead against Boyd Anderson(0-5). A running clock was used during the second half of play. 

     The Raiders will have a district contest in a week at the Fort Lauderdale Flying L's. The Cobras will host the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Eagles next week. 

Atlantic Slips By Pahokee

     The Atlantic Eagles got by the Pahokee Blue Devils 22-20 at Atlantic Stadium in Delray Beach on Friday night. Both Palm Beach County high schools have consistently reached the FHSAA postseason on a yearly regular basis for the past two decades. 

     Pahokee(4-3) was able to get the only points in the first half with six points during the second quarter. Atlantic(5-1) outscored the Blue Devils 15-6 in third quarter to take a 15-12 lead. The Eagles extended it to 22-12 with a touchdown in the first minute of the final quarter. 

     The Eagles will travel to the Seminole Ridge Hawks next week for a 3M District 9 game. The Blue Devils will visit the Benjamin Buccaneers in a week. 

West Palm Beach Ratings September 2023

     The ratings were issued for West Palm Beach sports talk radio stations. The time span was from the third week of August to the second week of September. It was the second time in three months that there was a tie for first place between the two registered competitors. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM dropped 0.4 to a 0.2. The Florida Atlantic University Owls football team had their first two contests at home with a win over Monmouth and a loss to Ohio. 

     Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler WBZT-AM remained at a 0.2 for the 13th consecutive month. The Miami Marlins had a 75-71 and were barely on the outside for a National League wild-card position. The University of Florida Gators football team lost their opening game to the University of Utah and had a 1-1 record. 

Dolphins Acquire Chase Claypool

     The Miami Dolphins have acquired wide receiver Chase Claypool and a 2025 seventh-round pick from the Chicago Bears. The Dolphins will send back a 2025 sixth-round selection.  

     Claypool broke into the National Football League with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020. He was by them to the Bears after eight games into the 2022 regular season. Claypool has 171 catches for 2,235 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in 49 games. 

SiriusXM Radio Adds Anthony Stewart

     Former Florida Panthers forward Anthony Stewart has been added to the roster of on-air hosts on NHL Network Radio at SiriusXM Radio. He played 105 games with the Panthers from 2005-06 to 2008-09 and compiled 12 points.

     Stewart moved on to the broadcasting field following his playing career. He was a midday co-host on Hockey Central at 590 The Fan CJCL-AM, Sportsnet and NHL Network. He has been seen as a studio analyst of NHL games on Sportsnet. 

Panthers Push By Lightning

     The Florida Panthers overtook the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-3 at Amalie Arena on Thursday night. Both teams will face each other on Saturday in Sunrise for their final preseason contests. 

     Tampa Bay rushed out to a 1-0 lead at the 2:54 mark of the first period on a slap shot by Victor Hedman. Florida tied it up 1-1 on a Kevin Stenlund wrist shot at 5:04. 

     In the second period, the Bolts regained the lead 2-1 on a Nikita Kucherov wrist shot at 1:16. The Cats evened it 2-2 with a tip-in goal by Eetu Luostarinen on the power play with 9:01 remaining in the period. Steven Stamkos scored a power-play goal on a snap shot with 6:59 to go in the second for a Lightning 3-2 lead. Nick Cousins answered back for the Panthers with 5:43 left in the frame to make it 3-3. 

     Florida finally got the first lead of the contest 4-3 at the 10:07 mark of the third period as Justin Sourdif poked the puck into the cage. They expanded it to 5-3 just 91 seconds later when Ryan Lomberg put in a snap shot. Stenlund added his second tally of the game with 42 seconds remaining in the third for a three-goal margin. 

Norchad Omier On Lindy's Sports Magazine Cover

     University of Miami Hurricanes forward Norchad Omier is on the front cover of Lindy's Sports magazine. It is a regional cover specifically in the state of Florida. 

     The Miami Hurricanes had a fantastic season in 2023. The Canes were able to reach the Final Four for the first time in school history. 

Phillies Eliminate Marlins In Game 2

     The Philadelphia Phillies eliminated the Miami Marlins from the postseason with a 7-1 win in Game 2 of the National League Wild-Card Series on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies will face the Atlanta Braves in the next playoff round. 

     It ended the 2023 season for Miami, who lost their second postseason series in franchise history. The Marlins reached the National League Playoffs in a full 162-game season for the first time since 2003. 

     Philadelphia had a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Kyle Schwarber doubled down the right-field line and Cristian Pache crossed the plate. Park Vista High School grad Trea Turner followed with a base hit off the pitcher and through the right side for Schwarber to score. 

     It became 3-0 for the Phillies in the fourth inning. Former Marlin J.T. Realmuto smashed a solo home run to left field on a 2-2 count. 

     The Phils loaded the bases during the bottom of the sixth. Bryson Stott belted a grand-slam homer to right-center field on the first pitch and gave them a seven-run margin. Alec Bohm, Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos scored in front of him on the play. It was the first grand-slam home run for Stott in his MLB career. 

     The Marlins avoided the shutout in the top of the ninth. Josh Bell singled up the middle and Xavier Edwards reached home. 

Chicago Fire FC Blaze By Inter Miami CF

     Chicago Fire FC canned Inter Miami CF 4-1 at Soldier Field on Wednesday night. Inter Miami CF is winless in their last four contests.  

     Neither team scored in the first half. Chicago was able to go ahead 1-0 on a tally from Xherdan Shaqiri in the 49th minute. 

     Inter Miami CF tied it up 1-1 on a penalty kick by Josef Martinez in the 53rd minute. It became 3-1 for Chicago Fire FC when Maren Haile-Selassie scored during the 62nd minute and the 66th minute. Shaqiri extended the lead to 4-1 in the 73rd minute. 

Miami Ratings September 2023

     The ratings were released for sports talk radio stations in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale region. The time period went from the third week of August to the second week of September. 

     AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM moved from a 1.0 to a 1.4 in the month and doubled their audience from two months ago. Inter Miami CF captured the Leagues Cup in August with Lionel Messi and held a 12-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. The team advanced to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final. The University of Miami Hurricanes football team began with a 2-0 record. 

     Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM went up for the second straight period from a 0.2 to a 0.3 and have tripled their audience in the past two months. The Miami Dolphins began the 2023 regular season on their new flagship station with a victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. The Miami Marlins were barely outside for a National League playoff spot with a 75-71 record. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM appeared in the Miami ratings for the first time since April 2020 with a 0.1 in the period. Although the station is based in West Palm Beach, mid-afternoon host Andy Slater has put a heavy emphasis of Miami sports and pop culture on his program. An audience was also found with being the flagship station of Florida Atlantic University football. 

     The WQAM stream dropped from a 0.2 to a 0.0. The local audience have been listening to Inter Miami CF games on the regular terrestrial radio signal with no broadcasting conflicts among different South Florida teams. 

Phillies Take Marlins In Game 1

     The Philadelphia Phillies topped the Miami Marlins 4-1 in Game 1 of the National League Wild-Card Series at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night. It is the first time that both National League East Division clubs have met each other in a postseason game. The Marlins will try to avoid elimination in Game 2 tomorrow. 

     Philadelphia jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Alec Bohm doubled down the left-field line for Johan Rojas to score. 

     The Phillies expanded it with two runs in the fourth inning for a 3-0 lead. Bryson Stott singled into center field and former Marlins player J.T. Realmuto crossed the plate. Cristian Pache followed with a base hit up the middle and Stott scored. 

     Miami closed it to 3-1 in the top of the seventh. Bryan De La Cruz got an infield single to third and Josh Bell reached home. 

     It became 4-1 for the Phils in the bottom of the eighth. Nick Castellanos knocked in Bryce Harper on a double to the left-field fence. 

Marlins And Phillies Series Preview

     The Miami Marlins and the Philadelphia Phillies will open their National League Wild-Card Series at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Tuesday night. All first-round postseason contests in the best-of-three series will be held in the same venue with no games being played in Miami. 

     The Marlins will be participating in their fourth postseason during their 30-year franchise history. They previously appeared in the National League Playoffs in 1997, 2003 and 2020. The Fish captured World Series titles in 1997 and 2003. Miami has a all-time series record of 7-1. 

     Philadelphia have reached the postseason 15 times. The defending National League champions have won two World Series titles in 1980 and 2008. The Phillies have captured the National League pennant in 1915, 1950, 1983, 1993, 2009 and 2022. 

Lightning Ease By Panthers

     The Tampa Bay Lightning outdueled the Florida Panthers 2-0 on Tuesday night at Amway Center in Orlando. Both clubs will face each other three times in a five-day period in three different Florida locations. 

     Tampa Bay moved out to a 1-0 lead during the first period. Tanner Jeannot was able to score a goal with the man advantage at the 5:24 mark. 

     Neither team could put anything in the net in the second period. The Lightning made it 2-0 as Nicholas Paul scored on the power play with 9:14 left in the third period. 

Brewers Release Brian Anderson

     The Milwaukee Brewers have released infielder Brian Anderson. He joined the club as a free agent prior to the 2023 season. Anderson compiled nine home runs, 40 runs batted in and a .226 batting average in 96 games. 

     It is a complete surprise that Anderson was let go by the team. The Brewers begin a National League Wild-Card Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks today. 

     Anderson was with the Miami Marlins from 2017 until 2022. He helped the club reach the postseason in 2020. Anderson played in 531 games and had a .256 batting average. 

Miguel Cabrera Retires

     Former Marlins player Miguel Cabrera played in his final Major League Baseball game on Sunday. He announced his retirement from baseball prior to the 2023 regular season. 

     Cabrera played his first five seasons with the Florida Marlins from 2003 until 2007. He captured a World Series championship in 2003 during his rookie year. He spent the remainder of his MLB career with the Detroit Tigers from 2008 to 2023. Cabrera helped that team get the American League title in 2012. 

     He leaves the sport as one of three people with more than 500 home runs, 3,000 hits and a .300 batting average. Only Willie Mays and Hank Aaron have accomplished that. 

     Cabrera won the Triple Crown in 2012 along with the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 2012 and 2013. He also was able to win four batting titles, two home run titles and two RBI titles. 

Matthew Tkachuk On The Hockey News Cover

     Florda Panthers right wing Matthew Tkachuk appeared on the front cover of several magazine publications prior to the 2023-24 NHL season. He is one of 32 players on The Hockey News annual preview cover and one of five players on The Hockey News fantasy hockey cover. 

     Tkachuk led the Panthers to the 2023 Eastern Conference title. The team fell to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games during the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. 

Panthers Lose Kraft Hockeyville

     The Florida Panthers played in the annual Kraft Hockeyville game in Canada on Sunday and lost to the Ottawa Senators 4-2. The contest was held in Sydney, Nova Scotia. 

     The Panthers will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in their next three games. Both clubs will play in Orlando on Tuesday, in Tampa on Thursday and in Sunrise on Saturday. 

Luis Arraez Wins Batting Title

     Miami Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez captured the 2023 National League batting title on Sunday. He ended up with a .354 batting average to take the batting crown. Arraez was ahead of the entire league since the first week of the regular season. 

     Arraez was able to pick up his second career batting title and was the first player in Major League Baseball history to win it in different leagues in consecutive seasons. He won the American League batting crown last season with the Minnesota Twins as he compiled a .316 batting average. Arraez became the only player besides D.J. LeMahieu and Ed Delahanty to win a batting championship in both leagues. 

Pirates Shut Out Marilns

     The Miami Marlins were blanked by the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 at PNC Park on Sunday. The Marlins will begin a best-of-three National League Wild-Card Series at the defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday. 

     Miami finished with an 84-77 record this season. It was their best regular season record since the 2009 campaign. 

Bills Bump Dolphins

     The Buffalo Bills beat the Miami Dolphins 48-20 on Sunday at Highmark Stadium. The Dolphins entered the contest as one of three undefeated NFL teams this season. 

     Miami(3-1) scored a regular-season record 70 points last week at home against the Denver Broncos. Buffalo(3-1) extended their winning streak to three games following an opening game loss at the New York Jets. Both teams are tied for first place in the AFC East Division.